Automatic weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



M. L. STONE. AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.APPLICATION FILED DBO.11, 1907.

940,286. Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

M. L. STONE. AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.11, 1907.

Patented Nov, 16, 1909. BSHEBTS-SHEET 2.

FIG.2.

Z0 itrz e 8685 M. L. STONE.

, AUTOMATIC WEFT REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.11, 1907.

Patented Nov. 16. 1909.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

loom as is necessary for the understanding" UNITED STATES PATENT()FFICE.

MELVIN L. sro'N or LOWELL, mAssAoHusET'rs, ,ASSIGNOR TO DRAPER COMPANY,or

PORTLAND, MAINE, A conroaarron or MAINE.

AUTOMATIC WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISM FOR LOOMS. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 16, 1909.

Application filed December 11, 1907. Serial No. 406,121.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, MELVIN L. STONE, of Lowell, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvementsin Automatic lVeft-Replenishing Mechanism for Looms,of which the following is a. specification.

The object of this invention is to increase the number of spareWeft-carriers used in automatic weft-replenishing looms and to enablesaid weft-carriers to be assembled in large number away from the weaveroom,

thereby enabling the spare weft-carriers-to be put in position onthe'loom at remote intervals and without any attention on the part ofthe weaver. To this end, the weftcarriers are put in place on adetachable flexible chain of indefinite length provided with means forholding weft-carriers and for the attachment of the ends of the weftthreads. This chaincarrier can be supplied with the weft-carriersoutside of the weave room and, if desired, can be rolled into smallcompass. The loom is provided with appropriate means to cooperatewithand feed said chain-carrier step by step as required, so as topresent the weft-carrier successively into transferring position in theloom. q

The present improvements are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,wherein Figure 1, is a side view of so much of a of the presentinvention, the improved weftreplenishing devices being illustrated inposition. Fig. 2, is a horizontal section of the parts shown in Fig.1.Fig. 3, is a plan view of a portion of the chain-carrier showin someweft-carriers in lace. Fig. 4, is a si e view of one of the ho ders ofthe chainoarrier which holds a weft-carrier butt.- Fig. 5, is a similarview of a support and retainer for a weft-carrier tip. Fig. 6, is adetail section in the plane indicated by the line 66 in Fig. 5.

As shown in Fig. 3, the weft-carriers are ut in place and held by achain-carrier of indefinite length, and which preferably is made longenough to hold sufficient weftcarriers to supply the loom for an entireday, thus making it feasible to replenish the loom when the mill is notrunning. The details of the chain-carrier will not be described untilafter it has been made plain how such chain-carrier supplied withweftcarriers is used on the loom. I

The chain-carrier is used in connection with a' rotary magazine andtransferrer resembling those set forth in United ,States Letters Patentof Stimpson, No. 664,790,, December 25, 1900, and No. 718,587, January13,1903. At one end of the breast-beam B, of the loom is a fixed bracketO, carrying a horizontal stud D, on which turns a-rotary magazinecomprising a hub, and two sepaeries of which are suitably toothed, asshown v rated sprocket wheels F, and G, the periphi in Fig. 1, to engagethe chain-carrier. As

shown in Fig. 2, these sprocket wheels are a suflicient distance apartto receive between them the lengths of the weft-carriers.

\Vhenever a weft-carrier is transferred into Weaving position in theloom, the sprocket wheels F, and G, are fed forward one stepautomatically in the manner in which the rotary magazine of saidStimpson patents is fed. The lowermost Weft-carrier (see Fig. 1) is intransferring position, being maintained there, in a Well-known manner,by a fixed stop a. most weft-carrier is directly above the chamber (opentop and bottom) of an automatically threading shuttle. when the lay isat or near front center, as in said Stimpson patents; and it is alsoimmediately below the usual transferrer H. This transferrer, as in thesaid Stimpson patents, is automatically moved whenever the condition ofthe running weft demands. Thereupon, the

zine'is simply a feeder for the detachable chain-carrier.

The chain-carrier is guided into position upon the sprocket wheels ofthe magazine by means of the fixed guides I. (see Figs. 1 and.2) and isdirected away from the magazine ,when depleted of weft-carriers by thefixed guides J, shown in Fig. 1. Fixed In this position said lowertransferrer ejects the lowermost weft-carrier guards K (see Figs. 1",and 2), maintain the 2 chain carrler in cooperation with the sprocketwheels of the rotary magazine.

The chain-carrier consists of holders and supports M, pivot rods N,links 0, and

' rows of links 0, pivoted to each other in sponding Weft-carrier.

line with the rods N; and between the said links and'the holders andsupports are distance studs b (Fig. 6), which secure said links to;.said holders and supports, and

which also serve aslbearings for the anti friction rollers P, whichcooperate with the sprocket-wheels. The sprocket teeth pass between therollers P, and also between the outer links 0, and the inner holders L,and supportsM. This construction givesa flexible chain construction tocooperate with the sprocket-wheels, and at'the same time fixes theholders "L, and supports M, with respect to each other so as to enablethem to retain the weft-carriers.

flang e'c, to partially embrace the butt of the weft-carrier. Theflange, however, does not extend all around, but leaves the holder openon one side, this being the bottom when the corresponding weft-carrieris in transferring position."

The support M, is for the tip of a correhowever, does not come intoimmediate contact with the tip of the weft-carrier, but it serves as asupport for a presser plate or retainer Q. This retainer, as is bestshown in Fig. 2, is mounted on a stem 03, whlch extends through and' isguided by apertures in the support M, and in the corresponding link- 0.A coiled spring R, interposed between the retainer and adjacent link 0,and

' surrounding stem 03, forces the retainer Q,

.- forced ownwardly by the transferrer.

against the tip end of the weft-carrier with sufficient force tomaintain the weft-carrier 1n lace, said Weft-carrier being therebyforclbly pressed at its butt against the face of the holder L. Eachweft-carrier is thus rasped and yieldingly'held at its two ends.

he spring-pressed retainer Q, is grooved as illustrated in Figs. 2, and5, so as to permit the esca e of the tip when the Weft-carrieTrIis espring'R, is not strong enough to resist the force of the transferrer.When the chaincarrier-is empty, fresh weft-carriers are supplied bypulling outwardly each retainer Q, a ainst the tension of its 5 ring R,by means of a knob S, on the stem Each retainer Q. 'has an outwardlypro- This tip support,

jecting stud T, constituting a guide around which the thread of thecorresponding weftcarrier is passed, as indicated .in Fig. 3. The threadmight be wound about this stud and be thus heldin place. Preferably,however, the endof' the thread is simply passed around this guide andits free endiis held in a notch or anchorage U, (see Fig. 4), in thebutt holder L, so that the guide and anchorage are separated from eachother. Ac-

cordingly, when a weft-carrier is transferred into weaving position inthe loom, the thread is freed from the guide T, but is still held by theanchorage U. This furnishes slack thread so that the liability isdiminished of breaking the thread when the weft-carrier is its firsttraverse throug the shed. The

transferred into weaving osition and makes anchorage U, it will benoted, is nearer the middle of the loom and to the adjacent selvage thanis the guide T.

The chain-earner is supplied-with weft-- suitable time, as before themill starts in the The'holder L, is for the butt of a weft carrier.Ithas an inwardly pro ectmg morning, or after it closes in the evening.The chain-carrier is'brought into coopera tive position with the rotarymagazine which can be turned by hand until the leading '-weft-carrier isin transferring position.

The chaln-carrier is fed step by step, as re plenishing demands, untilall of its Weftcarriers have been used, or until it is replaced by afresh one. In case all of the weft-carriers are'used, the emptychain-carrier drops by ravity from the bottom guides K, away from theloom. A suitable receptacle may receive the empty chain and also thedepleted weft-carriers.

1 I claim- 1. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, incombination, a. rotary-magazine having separated sprocket wheels, atransferrer,'means for feeding the magazine. one

ste whenever the transferrer acts, and a de tac iable flexiblechain-carrier of indefinite length coiiperating with said rotary maazine, said chaln-carrler havm means or grasping and yieldingly holdingat butts and tips respectively .a large number of weft-carriers, andhaving also a guide and a separated anchorage for the thread of eachweft-carrier.

r2 An automatic weft-replenishing loomhavlng, 1n comb1nat1on, a-rotarymagazine having separated'sprocket wheels, a trans- .ferrer, means forfeeding the magazine one step whenever the transferrer acts, and adetachable flexible carrier of indefinite length 006 crating with saidrotary magazine, said flexible carrier having means for holding a largenumber of weft-carriers, and having also an anchorage for the thread ofeach having, in combination, a rotary magazine having separated sprocketWheels, a transferrer, means for feeding the magazine one step wheneverthe transferrer acts, and a detachable flexible-carrier of indefinitelength cooperating with said rotary magazine, said flexible carrierhaving means for holding a large number of weft-carriers.

- 4'. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, arotary feeder, a transferrer, meansfifor moving said feeder one step ateach action of the transferrer. and a detachable flexible-carrier ofindefinite length cooperating with said rotary feeder, saidflexible-carrier having means for holding a large number ofweft-carriers 5. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, incombination, a feeder, a transferrer, means for moving said feeder onestep at each action of the transferrer, and a detachableflexible-carrier of indefinite length cooperating with sai'dfeeder, saidflexible-carrier having means for holding a large number ofweft-carriers.

6. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, atransferrer, aidetachahle flexible-carrier of indefinite length havingmeans for holding-a large number of weft-carrier's, and having also ananchorage for the thread of each weft-carrier,.'and means for feedingvsaid flexible-carrier at each action of the transferrer.

7. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, atransferrer, a detachable flexible-carrier of indefinite length havingmeans for holding a large number of weftcarriers, and means for feedingsaid chain-carrier at each action of the transferrer.

8. A flexible-carrier of indefinite length for an automaticweft-replenishing loom having means for holding'a large number ofweft-carriers, and having also a guide and a separated anchorage for thethread of each weft-carrier.

9. A detachable flexible carrier of indefitiite length for an automaticweft-replenishing loom having means for grasping and yieldingly holdingat butts and tips respectively a large number of weft-carriers.

10,. A detachable flexible-carrier of indefivi nite length for anautomatic weft-replenish ing loom having means for holding a largenumber of weft-carriers, and having also an nchorage for the thread ofeach weft-carr1er.-

11. A detachable flexible-carrier of indefinite length for an automaticweft-replenishing loom having means for holding a large number ofweft-carriers. I

12. A detachable flexible-carrier for an, automatic weft-replenishingloom having means for holding a multiplicity of weft-- carriers, bothwhen attached to and detached from the loom, and said carrier whenloaded with weft-carriers being attachable to the loom.

13. An automatic weft-replenishing loom having, in combination, atransferrer, a de-. tachable flexible-carrier having means for saidflexible-carrier relatively to said transferrer.

In wltness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

MELVIN L. STONE.

WVitnesses: I 4 WM. T. MoLLoY,

CHARLES STICKNEY.

- holding a multiplicity of weft-carriers, both

